Coconut, the tropical nut, is a super food that we don’t entirely know everything about. It’s use has just recently become popular as it pertains to consumerism. Natives that live in areas that grow coconuts eat and enjoy them regularly. In their natural form and environment you will see someone carve a hole with a knife at one end to drink the coconut water. Then they will take a machete and crack it open. Inside they will scoop out the soft cream and then the hard meat. All three forms are beneficial and have different concentrates of nutrients.

Here are the top 3 health benefits of coconut;

Hydration

Coconut contains two key electrolytes; sodium and potassium. If you work out, are in sports or have a physically demanding job it is very important to hydrate with electrolytes to keep your body fluids in balance.

Coconut milk, cream and oil hydrate the skin.
Coconut lotion moisturizes the skin and is an antiseptic, helping to prevent and cure skin ailments.

Satiation

Adding coconut cream or milk to your hot beverage like coffee or tea reduces hunger because the MTC oils in it satisfy your body. This is a natural and healthy way to feel less hungry and have more control over your food choices.

Heart Health

Coconuts contain a high amount of good fat that improves heart health. This saturated fat is also excellent for improving skin elasticity and strengthening hair.

Coconut contains saturated fat. Saturated fat is the healthier, high quality fat. However, the combination of fat – both saturated and unsaturated – and processed sugar is a deadly combination. You find this combination in foods such as ice cream, chocolate, donuts and french fries.

However, when you remove processed sugar from your diet, consuming healthy fats becomes very important. The reason is that once the body is not running on low quality fuel such as sugar it switches into needing oil, better known as “fat”, the solidified form of oil.

Once your body has switched over to burning fat instead of sugar, consuming healthy fat needs to be included in your daily diet. This is when consuming high quality fats that are found in foods such as coconuts provides incredible health benefits. Remember, our bodies can become like a well oiled machine that optimally runs best on high quality oils. These oils are found in foods such as salmon, coconut and flax.

Another great thing about coconut is that its readily available in all sorts of formats. One very versatile format is in canned Coconut Cream. This is a really great cream substitute for people that are lactose intolerant but still want that creamy taste added to their coffee or other hot beverages.

Coconut Cream is also a great staple to have on hand because it makes for an excellent emergency food. It is fairly inexpensive when bought at health food stores. It can be used as your coffee creamer or a multitude of recipes.

Coconut Cream Nutritional Facts

Serving Size 1/4 Cup
Calories 120
Total Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 11g
Trans Fat 0
Cholesteral 0
Sodium 20mg
Carbs 2g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Total Sugar 1g
Potassium 100mg
Calcium 24mg
Magnesium 33mg